Alex Eala rallies past Maya Joint into historic Wimbledon third round

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines gestures during the second round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala continues to play her best tennis yet, making history with a breakthrough third-round appearance at Wimbledon.

Eala crawled her way back from a tough first-set loss and blanked Maya Joint of Australia in the decider for a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 win in their second-round duel on Thursday night (Philippine time).

The Filipino tennis ace had to break six deuces each in Games 1 and 3 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the third set. 

Eala dominated the next two, especially the fifth game, where she blanked Joint to reach match point, 5-0.

The pride of the Philippines denied Joint a single game despite the Australian holding a 40-30 lead in the final game. Joint committed a series of costly errors, allowing Eala to seal her first-ever third-round appearance in a Grand Slam.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns the ball during the second round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

“I really had to dig deep, especially after that first set. Maya came out on fire, she came out ready, and I was expecting a really good match, of course, with competed within some very good conditions before, so I was prepared for a good match,” said Eala.

“She obviously is coming off an amazing win. I watched it, and I think she played really well and handled herself really well in that situation. So, congratulations to Maya. Knowing that, I really had to dig deep.”

Eala battles defending champion Iga Swiatek in Round 3 on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Eala bucked a lethargic first set, eking out a 4-1 start in extended games and dominating the last two of the second set to force a decider.

Eala stayed within striking distance in the first set, trailing 4-3 before Joint regained control in the eighth game to move within a game of the opener. The Filipino leveled the ninth game at deuce, but her next forehand sailed long before Joint capitalized on an open court to take the set.

The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate exacted a sweet revenge on the 20-year-old Joint after her heartbreaking three-set loss in the 2025 Eastbourne Open final.

“It’s funny. We had an insane match here at Eastbourne, and I lost, and it hit me quite hard. I cried a lot, and I don’t think I was able to watch those highlights for a couple of months, so I’m really happy. I think I improved a lot in this past year, and I’m happy that I’m able to look back at that loss, and I’m able to smile. Extra motivation to win for sure,” Eala said.

Eala continued to thrive on the grass surface, as she kicked off her second Wimbledon campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Renata Zarazua of Mexico.

Seeded 29th in a Grand Slam competition for the first time, Eala made it to the second round since her breakthrough win in the US Open last year.

Eala is also scheduled to compete in the doubles tournament with Nikola Bartunkova against Jeļena Ostapenko and Sofia Kenin.